"Artie, ya gotta figure this out," said Bill growling. So far, they had tried everything they knew of to get the suit to change back. All they found out was that the suit seemed to not work in this form.

"I'm trying to Bill, it's just I don't know what I did," she said pacing around in the bikini and jacket. "'Course, I could've fixed this already if we didn't lose the book of instructions. Think the only thing I haven't tried is to read it the Miranda rights."

"Cute sweetheart, but that won't work unless you're putting the jammies under arrest," he said. "Any more ideas Ralph?"

"Well..."

"I have an idea," interrupted Tony, causing the other three to turn.

"Oh, now suddenly interested, Tony," asked Aidan with a slight smirk. "'Course I've given you plenty of reasons to be interested. You do realize that if it wasn't for your comments from the peanut gallery also this wouldn't have happened."

"OK, I'll admit I've been a jackass lately Aidan, but the suit's acting like a bad tire and it needs to be fixed," he said. "I think it might have something to do with what you said and..."

Aidan sighed, exasperated at what was going on. "Tony, I tried saying that it'd be better as the suit, but that hasn't worked..."

"Let me finish Aidan," he continued. "And maybe it was the fact you were holding the suit's belt and buckle. It's also the part that didn't morph, so why don't ya try that and see if that works."

Aidan nodded skeptically, took off Ralph's jacket and repeated everything she did a while ago except say the suit instead of bikini. The suit returned to its normal style and she smiled. "It worked," she said giving Tony a hug.

"It's nothing Aidan," he said, blushing slightly at her reaction. "Something only a partner would notice."

"Partner?"

Tony shrugged and nodded his head. He then offered his hand reluctantly. "Yeah, though I'm still rather not have one, partner, at least for the moment. If nothing else, I've got to keep you from becoming a flasher again because of a wacky comment. Mr. H would have my hide if that happened again, and I'm not in school anymore to avoid that."

Aidan rolled her eyes and laughed, taking his hand gently into both of hers and shaking it. Ralph and Bill looked at each other and grinned, knowing that this was at least a step in the right direction to getting the two to work together.

"Now, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm hungry," said Aidan. "How 'bout we get Pam and go to lunch? My treat, so long as you don't mind Chinese."

-----------------------------------------

The following Monday, Ralph and Aidan were walking down the hallway at Whitney High between classes. Aidan fidgeted slightly, trying to straighten her bra strap as the form-fitting suit under her normal clothes kept it riding up her back, and failed. After talking to Ralph about possible problems with the power, they decided to not morph the suit again for the time being. She also was wearing a large bandage on her left temple.

Seeing Aidan again grab at the back of the strap to pull it down, he grabbed her hand and spun her around. "Aidan, is this some sort of new dance," he said, chuckling as he dipped her and the two continued to dance. A few students stopped to watch the two, but knowing Ralph and Aidan were known for their occasional improv antics to raise school spirit, thought it was another skit.

"Yeah, I think it's a cross between ballroom dancing and swing. It's called the 'Outerspace Jitterbug,'" she said laughing. When the two saw they had an audience, they stopped, bowed and gently scolded the kids to head to class. Ralph turned to Aidan and smiled. "Still having trouble getting comfortable with the suit on under your clothes," he said as they started walking again.

When she blushed and nodded, he continued. "Don't worry, I never did, but you need to quit pulling at all your clothes or someone's going to start asking questions," he said chuckling. "Now, remember what Pam said and limp a bit on your left leg. You're supposed to be healing from a knife slash to your leg. And whatever you do, don't let that bandage on your head come off."

"Got it," she said as she heard the bell ring and checked the watch facing the front of her hand. "Listen, I'd better get back to the room before the class starts to get antsy. Couple of the wax projects are being cast today, and I've got to finish the burnout on them." Flipping her wrist and noting the time on the other watch, Aidan grimaced slightly. "And, the timer reads 10 more minutes before my students get to fulfill their dreams of being Hephaestus ... or at least metal pyromaniacs."

Ralph chuckled and they parted ways. As Aidan walked by the spot where she was shot, she shuddered, remembering how close she came to dying. Clearing her mind, she continued past it and entered the building then into the jewelrysmith room. "Hey guys, sorry I'm late. I'm just about done with the burnouts and..." she stopped when she saw a package on her desk and the class applauding. "What's all this about?"

"Miss Aidan, we heard about what happened, and we're glad to see that you're fine," said Lauren Jade. Originally, Aidan had the class call either Miss Hinkley or Miss H, but after one too many times of both her and Ralph reacting to the salutation when they were both together at the school, told the class to call her Miss Aidan.

"Thanks, Lauren, I'm just a little stiff is all," Aidan said smiling. "So, what's with the package?"

Another of her students, Marci Aventurine, spoke. "Well, Miss Aidan, though ya drive us up the wall with your incessant rules with the torches, we do respect ya, and hearing you were hurt, wanted to do something for ya. Now, will you open the package before we go bananas?"

"OK, OK, since we've got a couple of casting projects to do," she said as she opened up the package. Inside was an oddly shaped pendant with a goldstone. Aidan smiled as she took it out of the box and threaded it on her necklace. "This is fantastic, guys, thank you. You're sure have me pegged down as far as my tastes. Now, since I know you're about to ask, yep, it's the day you get to play, safely, with fire and cast these projects. Now, there's only a couple of minutes left for the casts curing in the kiln, so why don't you get your safety glasses on and I'll get the centrifuge and metal set up?"

The class nodded and everyone set up their stuff. After casting the ring, Aidan had the class walk outside with her to a tub of water to quench the cast. Once the steam cleared, she reached into the water and pulled out the ring. "OK, once you clean off the investment, the ring will have the metal button and sprues from the casting," she said. "Now, after rinsing it you ... MK?"

The class turned and looked at where she was looking. Lazuli was walking unsteadily down the courtyard with a handcuff attached to each wrist, and after a few moments, fell to the ground. Aidan rushed over to Lazuli's side and gently turned her over. Lazuli was semiconscious and had a cut on her forehead. "MK, can you hear me? Marci, call the paramedics and go get the school nurse." said Aidan, placing a hand on Lazuli's wrist to check her pulse, part of the suit sleeve showing. Her hand also brushed the handcuff. As Marci left, Aidan blinked roughly, fighting a bought of dizziness.

'That's odd,' she thought as she was hit by another bout and she saw a weird image start to form in front of her eyes. It was faint and had wavy edges to it. She was so shocked at what she was seeing, she didn't hear the class trying to speak to her.

"Miss Aidan, is MK all right... Miss Aidan?" asked Lauren. Getting no response, she brushed back the young teacher's hair, only to see Aidan's eyelids flutter then open to stare straight at the cement. Aidan also tapped the ground a couple of times as though the cement was bugging her, then stopped. Lauren frowned when she saw Aidan's face grow pale on top of that. "OK... listen, Sean and Xander, you keep an eye on MK and Miss Aidan. Everyone else, keep the other students from getting near them. I'm going to get Mr. H. He needs to see her and probably needs to take her home." The two men nodded and Lauren ran off to the principal's office.

Oblivious to what was going on around her, Aidan watched the image grow stronger and brighter. She then saw a picture of a man in the office yelling into the phone, and to her surprise could hear every word as though she was in the room.

"...Damn it, I told you to keep an eye on Lazuli," shouted the man.

"Look, there's no way she'd make it back to the school in time to tell them about our plan," said the other voice. "Besides, she was so doped up on sedatives I doubt she even knew what we were talkin' about."

"Well, you'd better hope that none of them find out about our plan before. ..." The picture suddenly faded from her eyes.

Though it seemed like hours, the image lasted only a few minutes before it faded. Aidan still was kneeled next to Lazuli staring at the ground when she heard different voices seep into her mind. "Mr. H, I'm worried about Miss Aidan, she still looks pale," said Lauren. "She was this way when I came to get you and Sean said she's been this way just before and after MK passed out."

"It's OK Lauren, thank you for getting me. I think she's just had a shock is all, and her head wound hasn't helped out," said Ralph as he shook Aidan's shoulder roughly. Judging from her look, he had a feeling what happened, but couldn't say it to anyone else. "Ade, Aidan come on snap out of it, you'll be fine, trust me."

Aidan blinked and looked up, seeing Ralph. The paramedics had just arrived out front, turning off the siren and gathering their equipment. Marci was coming down the other walkway to say the nurse was helping another student, but she did get the paramedics. Looking around, Aidan let go of Lazuli's wrist and grabbed her head, still feeling dizzy. "Ralph, what's going on? I could've sworn I was hallucinating that MK knew..."

"You might've been hallucinating, Aidan, you had a head injury remember?" said Ralph hastily, realizing the paramedics would arrive shortly and didn't want them to treat her too. "Listen, you nearly fainted, why don't you come to my office and lie down for a bit. Lauren, keep an eye on the class until the bell rings. And as Miss Aidan would say, just don't touch the acetylene torches."

"Sure Mr. H, anything to help out."

Ralph nodded and eased Aidan up, wrapping an arm around her waist and leading her with the other hand as though she might faint. "Aidan, let me explain..."

"Ralph, what the hell was that," she said, slightly shaking her head.

"Did you get a vision... a picture in front of your eyes with wavy edges?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I'm sorry Aidan, we were so busy trying to teach you the big suit powers, I forgot to warn you about those. That was a holograph, something the suit does to give you a warning," Ralph said. "That's why the ruse. I didn't want you to start telling what you saw in the courtyard and have someone think you were unfit for work, especially with the subject you teach. Now, when we get inside, I'm going to call Bill and see if he can go to the hospital to check on MK and get Tony to come here. Your holograph and MK might help us get her kidnappers."